Daniel Interprets a Second Dream (Daniel 4:1–37)

 

Daniel Interprets a Second Dream (Daniel 4:1–37)

Life is not an accident. It has a purpose, and it has a day of reckoning. We will stand before the God of justice and truth and be judged according to what each of us has done. This is already in progress. God lifts up the humble and brings down the proud.

Daniel chapter 4 tells how God showed King Nebuchadnezzar a second dream and gave its interpretation through Daniel. The model of all humility is our Lord Jesus Christ. He set aside his equality with God and was incarnate in human form. This was to save people who were under the power of sin and death.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Decree

1 King Nebuchadnezzar, To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth: May you prosper greatly! 2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. 3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation. (Dan. 4:1–3)

The golden statue incident made Nebuchadnezzar once again aware of the majesty, glory, power, and authority of God. He went a step further and issued a decree to all the peoples living under heaven, exalting the God of Daniel and his three friends.

In his patience, God shows his love through truth to all people, the king included. He shines a bright light into ignorance and darkness. Daniel and his three friends were used as instruments that reflected God’s bright light. God does not want anyone to fall into the pit of burning sulfur (hell), where even the worms do not burn and die, and be completely cut off from God’s love and grace forever (Isa. 66:24; Mark 9:48).

God shows the power and glory of his kingdom plainly, hiding nothing. The evidence is the power and authority of the Creator, hidden in all the universe and in the human body itself. The solar system moves without the slightest deviation, and our bodies are made up of chemicals and cells. The mystery of this life clearly displays the eternal power and divine nature of God the Creator (Rom. 1:20).

Not only that, God gave us the written Scriptures. Beginning with the Law and the Prophets and continuing through the Gospels and the Epistles, he has revealed his thoughts, will, and purpose in detail. He has placed people everywhere who have first learned and understood the secrets of God and his kingdom, and he has appointed them as witnesses and teachers. Moreover, through the pain and pressure we receive in daily life, God leads us to come to him and seek grace, peace, and rest.

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28–30)

Troubled by a Second Vision

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. 5 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. 6 So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. 7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. 8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.) 9 I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me.” (Dan. 4:4–9)

For the second time, the Lord God Almighty showed the king a vision through a dream. He told the vision of the dream to the Chaldean astrologers, magicians, and diviners, but they were not able to interpret it. The secrets of God can never be known through human skill and knowledge. They are known only when God himself teaches those secret things.

“As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit — just as it has taught you, remain in him.” (1 John 2:27)

This time too, the king called for Daniel, believing that Daniel’s God was able to interpret the vision of the dream and teach him its meaning. Jesus said that in the end times, when believers are bound and stand before kings to be questioned, they should not worry about what to say, because the Holy Spirit will speak through their hearts and mouths (Mark 13:11). Through this, God shows the power and authority of the gospel of salvation as evidence.

A heart that has long been held in darkness does not come to understand the word of God’s truth overnight. It is a process that takes place over a long time. It is like the process of a child growing up. Yet for a person to remain in a childlike state, with a heart that has not grown even after becoming an adult, is abnormal. In the same way, there is a problem when a person who has been born again spiritually does not grow in the secrets and knowledge of the kingdom of God. The Bible calls such people people of the flesh (1 Cor. 3:1–3).

A child grows through taking in nourishment and through exercise. Spiritual growth likewise comes through continually taking in the food of God’s word, as we eat three meals a day, and through learning, understanding, and obeying. God’s love is not only in words. It is a sacrificial love shown through the death of his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. God opens the gates of heaven to those who give up their own lives and gives them spiritual grace — love, joy, and peace. Giving up one’s own life is love.

A Watcher, a Holy One, Appears in the Vision

10 These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.

13 “In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven. 14 He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.

“‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.

17 “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’

18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” (Dan. 4:10–18)

Just as the head of the great statue in the first vision pointed to the king, so the great tree that appeared in the second vision points to the king. The tree was very tall and strong, and its leaves and fruit were so abundant that there was enough food for all people, and wild animals and birds made their homes in it. The Babylonian Empire had vast lands and many people. Everything was abundant and overflowing — every kind of grain, fruit, and vegetable, and everything from gold and silver to jewels, so that there was almost nothing it lacked. Meat and drink were plentiful too. Even today, when you go to a store, there is nothing lacking — everything is overflowing. The tree was strong, its height reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its branches and leaves were lush, it bore much fruit, and wild animals came and made their homes in it.

This is a picture of people who do not know how high heaven is, who love to boast about, exalt, and praise what they have made and set up. This is what the world looks like, and it has been repeating for thousands of years. This world is under the rule of the devil, Satan, the one who holds power in the air. The wild animals and birds nesting in the branches of the great tree are the evidence of this.

But although it seems that the devil Satan does as he pleases, and although people boast as though they were arrogant and there was nothing they could not accomplish, that is not so. A watcher, a holy one, from heaven sees everything with eyes like blazing fire. The watcher humbles the proud and lofty heart and eyes, leaves the stump in the ground, binds it with iron and bronze, and puts it out in the dew. God raises up whom he will raise up and brings low. God exalts those who fear the Lord, but he opposes the proud.

Daniel Is Troubled

19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.”

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds — 22 Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

23 “Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’” (Dan. 4:19–23)

Daniel was troubled when he heard the vision of the king’s dream. The reason was the calamity that would come upon the king. God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. Because the king’s heart was proud, and because he did not give glory to God but took the glory for himself, God showed him through the dream that fierce wrath would be revealed from heaven. The human heart is corrupt and fallen, and it wants to exalt itself higher and higher as far as it can.

But that is not truly being exalted. It is rather the path to ruin. The ones whom God truly exalts are those who are poor in spirit. Jesus declared that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3). The poor in spirit are those who acknowledge that they can do nothing by themselves and have a heart that depends on the Lord God Almighty for everything. People were created as beings who can do nothing by themselves and must depend on God. Therefore, every person is poor before God. But the one who acknowledges this fact before God is the one who is poor in spirit.

God exalts and he also brings down. God made people according to his image and likeness. He blessed them to rule over all things. As the vision in the dream showed, the king corresponded to the head of gold on the statue and was the enormous, great tree touching the top of the sky, and this makes the point well. It means that people in God and in Christ Jesus were made to be that exalted.

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (Ps. 8:4)

But Jesus showed the secret of truly becoming great before God. That way is the cross of Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus gave up his own life and obeyed God the Father even to the point of death. The human heart, fallen because of sin, wants to exalt itself without God. But that path ends in death. People do not exist on their own apart from God. They are his creatures, made by him. That is why God exalts those who humble themselves before him and humbles those who exalt themselves (Matt. 23:12).

Daniel’s Interpretation of the Dream

24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”

28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. (Dan. 4:24–33)

Everything God had shown the king in the vision of the dream was fulfilled. This is God’s holy love. Unfortunately, people under sin fall into ignorance and darkness and want to exalt themselves endlessly without God. So God, by allowing their lofty hearts to go their way, sends out wrath from heaven. The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). This is the truth that there is certainly a price to pay. By letting people taste the bitterness of sin, God desires that they turn back and come to salvation. Therefore, God’s wrath is an expression of holy love, meant to save people who have fallen into sin before the final judgment comes.

The King’s Sanity and Kingdom Are Restored

34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”

36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. (Dan. 4:34–37)

When the seven years that God had set were completed, the king’s sanity returned to him and his kingship was also restored. Everything was fulfilled just as God had shown in the vision of the dream. Not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, of God’s word falls to the ground; it is all fulfilled (Matt. 5:18). The king praised, exalted, and worshiped the God of heaven, who humbles the proud and exalts the humble.

“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’” (James 4:6)

Amen!

November 1, 2026

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Scripture quotes are from the NIV.